Automobile caution-signal



A. J. JONES;

AUTOMOBILE CAUHON SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-[0,1917- Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' INyEN'r R,

ATTORNEY A. J. JONES.

AUTOMOBILE CAUTION SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-10, 1917.

Patented Sept. 20, 192-1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDRED JAMES .ToNEs or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE CAUTION-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

Application filed September 10, 1917. .Serial No. 190,590.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, ALDRED J. JONES, a

' citizen of the United States, residing'at Deing. Thesolenoid has a peculiar connection to the shaft so as to provide a differential or eccentric action resulting in conservation of the energy employed, while means are provided whereby the core of the solenoid is constrained to operate to an extent as a dead-beat actuator for the semaphore. v

The casing is made'separable in part for ready access for installatlon and repairs,

and provision is made for arresting the movement of the semaphore at predetermined limits in either direction.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showin of the drawings, but may be changed changes and modifications mark' no material departure from the'salient features of the invention as'expressed'in the appended claims. Y

In the drawings -Figure l is an outline view of an automobilewith the caution signal attached and shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2' ishan elevation of the observed side of the cautionfsignal, showing the semaphore i the elevated or danger position; i

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, but. showing a semaphore in the lowered position.-

Fig. 4 is. a-sectionsimilar to that of Fig.

3., but taken at right angles thereto. V

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

and modified so long as such Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of a removable I side plate forming part of the casing.

Fig. 7 is a detail section of the shaft and encircling chain. Flg. 8 1s a rear view of the semaphore.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown 1 a columnaform casing 1, which in the particular construction shown, is of square cross section,'and of the same cross-sectional area throughout. tion is, however, not obligatory.

The casing is provided'with a removable top member 2, and a removable bottom member 3, each of which may be made fast to the casing by screws 4 or otherwise.

Such particular forma- One side 5 of the body of the casing is made removable, being secured to the remainder of the casing by screws 6, or otherwise, so that when the side 5 is removed and the top 2 and bottom 3 are also removed, the interior of the casing is freely accessible for the installation of working parts of the structure, or inspection or repairs thereof. H

Within the casing 1 near what constitutes the bottom thereof in the installed position of the deyice,there is a solenoid 7, mounted on a stirrup 8 made fast to the sides of the casing. r

The solenoid is provided with a core 9. into one end of which is tapped one end of a screw rod 10, so arranged that its effective length may be varied by screwing into-or out from the solenoid core, and when in desired position, the screw rod 10 is locked by a nut 11 on the rod. f

The other end of the rod 10 has pivoted thereto one end of a multi-link chain 12, the other end. of which is made fast to a pin 13, screwed radially into a rock shaft 1 1 traversing the casing and 'journaled in opposite sidesthereof. I

Exterior to the casing, one'end ofthe shaft 14 has an angle extension 15, constituting a crank to'which is secured a blade 16 forming a semaphore-.- One end 17 of the transparent material such as glass, and these glass panes are held in place by rings 21,

orin any other suitable manner.

I Following thef'usual custom, one of the glass panes is colored red, and the other is colored green, but it will be understood that such colors maybe varied if so desired.

The plat 51s formed with an offset 22 on one long side and fast to this offset is a buffer block 23 of some soft material such as rubber. Fast to the blade 16, is another buffer block 24, which may also be of rubber, and these blocks are so related that when the semaphore is in the lowered position, the buffer 24, engages the offset 22 on one face thereof, and When the semaphore is in the raised position, the buffer block 23 is engaged by a tongue 25 on the enlarged portion '17 of the semaphore, which tongue'may be conveniently produced by bending out a smallpart of the semaphore structure, such structure being usually made of sheet metal, although not necessarily so.

The two colored panes 19 and 20 serve as signals at night, while for daylight signaling, the blade of the semaphore, which projects to one side of the axis of locking of the semaphore, contains a warning word, such, as for instance, the word Caution, althou h any other word or warning indicia may e used. Y

Within the casing and carried by the removable side 5, is a forked bracket 26, so positioned that the forked portion straddles the threaded rod' or stem 10 and so prevents any material displacement of the rod under theordinary shocks and jars of travel.

7 Carried by the-casing near the top thereof so asto be back of either of the panes 19 or 20, is a bulls eye 27, and within the casing so as to project light through the bulls eye is an electric lamp 28, mounted in a socket '29, to one terminal of which there is a lead 30, while the other terminal of which is connected by a wire 31 to the casing, so that I the casing grounds the circuit.

. One side of the solenoid 7 may be'similarly grounded, while the other side is'connected to a conductor 32, which, with the conductor 'or lead 30, is carried out of the casing through an insulating bushing 33 in the bottom member 3. The casing 1 is or may be supported by a bracket34, connected to any suitable part of the automobile, and preferably at the rear of the latter, as for instance, to one of the rear wheel fenders.

For convenience of operation, the conductors 30 and 32 are carried to a controlling switch 34*, which may be mounted upon the steering post of the vehicle, or at any other convenient point, so as to be accessible to the operator of the'vehicle.

When the vehicle isprogressing forwardl in a straight path, and other vehicles are f0 lowing, and it is-desired to deviate from such path, as for instance, to turn a corner, the

operator touches asuitablepart of the switch 34, whereupon the; semaphore, which is nor- 'mally pendent, is caused to assume a'horizontal position by the ener ization of the solenoid. 7. This position is; eld so long as "the chain.

the proper part of the switch 34' remains closed.

The stirrup 8, if made of iron or steel, serves as apole piece and stop member holding the core 9 in the indrawn position, the travel of the core being such that when the semaphore is horizontal, the core'is in engagement with the stirrup 8, and is held thereto magnetically, thus preventing any play of the semaphore due to vibration of the core 9. The semaphore-cannot vibrate in a rising direction'because of the engagement of the finger 25 with the block 23.

WVhen the semaphore is deenergized the overbalancin action of the semaphore causes it to 11ft the core 9 so that the semaphore arm moves to a pendent position at which offset 22.

Sometimes, especially in heavy or large devices the core9 is not heavy enough to approximately counterbalance the semaphore but is greatly overbalanced by the latter. In such case, abox or receptacle 35 is mounted' on the screw rod 10, and is provided with a cover 36, which may be screwed upon it. The box 35 is then supplied with some weighty material until the close approach to point the block 24 engages the equilibrium between the core 9 and the semaphore arm is obtained. Then the work put upon the solenoid 7 is reduced to a minimum despite the weight of the parts tobe actuated and .the electric current used is correspondingly reduced. I

. At night, the electric lamp 28 is energized and so remains, wherefore'the caution signal either 1 displays a green light, indicating safety, or a red light, indicating danger, the

latter light being displayed when a change of course or running condition is contemplated. This warns a following automobile driver to take proper precautions to avoid collision.

The lock nut 11 is important inpreventing' J1 suitable casing, a rock shaft mounted inv the casing and I projecting therefrom, a signal device carried by and fast to the rock shaft exterior. to the. casing and at all times in visible position, electromagnetic means within the casing for rocking the signal device, and a chain connected. at one end to the magnetic member and at the other end connected to the shaft, the connecting-means comprising a'screw stem threaded-radially 1nto the shaft and pivotally connected to 2. A signal for automobiles provided with electromagnetic operating means including a rockable shaft, a signal device carried by the shaft in visible position, a screw stem threaded into the shaft, and a chain connected at one end to the stem and at the other to the electromagnetic means, whereby the effective length of the chain may be varied by the screw stem.

3. A caution signal comprising a casing, a solenoid mounted therein, a core for the solenoid, a shaft journaled in the casing and extending therebeyond, indicating means on the shaft exterior to the casing, flexible connections between the core and the shaft and windable upon the latter for rotating the shaft, and a forked member on the casing straddling the connections between the core and shaft.

4. A caution signal for automobiles comprising a casing having a removable side, a solenoid mounted in the casing, signal means carried by the casing, a core for the solenoid, connections. between the core and signal means, and a forked bracket carried by the removable side of the case and straddling the connections between the core and the signal means.

5. A caution signal for automobiles comprising a casing, a rockable shaft journaled therein and projecting therefrom, electromagnetic means in the casing for actuating the shaft, and a semaphore provided at one point with a finger and at another with a buffer, a casing having a side plate with a projection thereon in the path of the buffer on the semaphore and said projection being provided with a bufler in the path of the finger on the semaphore.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signa-- ture in the presence of two witnesses.

ALDRED JAMES JONES. Witnesses:

R. T. HARRISON, F. C. RIDEOUT. 

